President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure that Saturday’s Osun State governorship election is peaceful, transparent, free and fair, with the final outcome reflecting the genuine will of the electorate.
The President also urged residents of the state to come out in large numbers to exercise their civic responsibility without fear, while warning against violence, intimidation, harassment and other acts capable of disrupting the electoral process.
The call came ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election, the last off-cycle governorship election before the 2027 general elections. A total of 15 candidates are contesting the election, including the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke; the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO; and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu urged INEC to ensure that the electoral process was conducted in an orderly manner and that the integrity of the election was protected.
“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election. The election must be transparent, free and fair. I urge INEC to ensure the integrity of the process,” the President said.
Tinubu further described the election as an important opportunity for INEC to demonstrate its preparedness for the 2027 general elections, urging the commission to use the poll as a test case for a credible electoral process.
“INEC must use this last off-cycle election as a test case to demonstrate to Nigerians their full preparedness for the 2027 polls,” he said. (Business Day)
The President also called on the electorate to participate fully in the election while appealing to them to shun any action that could undermine the peaceful conduct of the poll. He assured residents that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to protect them before, during and after the election.
The Federal Government had earlier directed the top echelon of the nation’s security agencies to take charge of security arrangements in Osun ahead of the election. The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, also dispatched a Deputy Inspector-General of Police to the state to coordinate the police personnel deployed for the election.
Meanwhile, INEC has reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election across the state.
The commission said ballot papers and result sheets had arrived in Osogbo and were taken to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office ahead of their distribution to other parts of the state.
The electoral materials were reprinted following a court judgment directing INEC to include the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot, bringing the number of governorship candidates to 15. The election will take place across 332 wards in the state’s 30 local government areas.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission was fully prepared for the exercise.
He said the commission had 2,339,233 registered voters in Osun State, of whom 1,906,390 had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), representing 81.5 per cent of registered voters.
The remaining 432,843 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, had been safely deposited with the CBN in line with INEC’s established practice.
The commission also disclosed that some voters whose PVCs were damaged, defaced or lost had applied for replacements, while 6,101 applicants had printed downloadable copies of their PVCs.
INEC further stated that a polling-unit-by-polling-unit table showing the number of collected PVCs had been published on its official website. (The Nation Newspaper)
The President’s appeal for a peaceful election came amid heightened political tension and reports of violence in parts of Osun State.
Police authorities confirmed that a nephew of the Director-General of the APC campaign organisation and member of the House of Representatives, Wole Oke, was shot dead in Esa-Oke.
The APC campaign organisation also reported other attacks on some of its members in the state, further raising concerns about security ahead of the poll.
At an APC grand rally held at Freedom Park in Osogbo, Tinubu, who was represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, reiterated his commitment to democracy and urged voters to support the APC candidate, Oyebamiji.
The President said Osun State would experience greater development under an APC administration, arguing that the increased financial resources available to state governments should translate into improved infrastructure and better living conditions for citizens.
He urged Oyebamiji, if elected, to embark on a massive infrastructure development programme capable of transforming the state.
Tinubu said: “No state government today is owing salary or borrowing money for projects. Enough money is coming to the state. Osun should be better than what I’ve seen.”
He urged the APC candidate to demonstrate that development was an essential component of politics and ensure that the people enjoyed the dividends of democracy.
The President also expressed confidence that an Oyebamiji-led administration would work closely with the Federal Government to accelerate development across Osun State.
He called on all political actors and their supporters to reject violence, intimidation and harassment before, during and after the election.
Tinubu said he had put adequate security measures in place to ensure that the election was free, fair and credible, adding: “Nobody will harass or intimidate one another. Go out and vote for a party of your choice and choose wisely by voting for AMBO.”
The President also recalled his commitment to democratic development, stressing that he would not allow anyone to undermine Nigeria’s established democratic system. (The Nation Newspaper)
The APC rally attracted several prominent party leaders and political figures, including APC National Chairman Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, who presented the party’s flag and broom symbol to Oyebamiji; Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu; and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
Also present were Nigeria Governors’ Forum Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni; Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo; Kogi Governor Usman Ododo; Kaduna Governor Uba Sani; Ekiti Governor Biodun Oyebanji; pioneer APC Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Gboyega Oyetola; Senator Adams Oshiomhole; and APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru.
Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Delta Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, Oyo APC governorship candidate Senator Sarafadeen Alli and Professor Olu Aina were also at the rally.
A faction of the Accord Party, on whose platform Governor Adeleke is seeking re-election, also attended the APC rally in support of Oyebamiji. The faction, led by its chairman, Chris Imumolen, described the APC candidate as the best choice for the state.
However, Governor Adeleke alleged that unauthorised INEC officials and uncustomised ballot papers were present in the state and called on security agencies to remain vigilant.
Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who recently led the Turaki group in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to declare support for Oyebamiji, said he withdrew his support for Adeleke because of what he described as the governor’s lack of inclusive policies and programmes.
As part of efforts to prevent a breakdown of law and order, the police intensified security operations in Osogbo and warned that anyone who violated the law would be arrested and prosecuted.
Speaking at the rally, Uzodinma, who chairs the APC National Campaign Committee, appealed to voters to ensure that the election was peaceful.
He said the APC was not known for violence and urged its supporters not to be provoked into joining what he described as efforts by other political actors to cause violence.
Uzodinma called on residents to turn out in large numbers and vote for Oyebamiji and his running mate, saying the 31 APC governors had come to Osun to support the party’s candidate and persuade voters to return the state to the progressives.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRazaq similarly urged Osun residents to vote massively for Oyebamiji, arguing that his closeness to President Tinubu would enable him to attract greater Federal Government presence and development projects to the state.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin also appealed to voters to make Oyebamiji the 32nd APC governor, while Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu used the Igbo language to appeal for support for the APC candidate.
With the election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, all eyes are now on INEC, security agencies, political parties and the electorate to ensure that the highly anticipated poll is conducted peacefully and that the eventual result reflects the freely expressed will of the people of Osun State.
